How many times did you rip the handle off trying to get it to go just a little bit faster when you knew all along it was only a switch? That "uncertainty" is what made it "fun" in a tear-your-hair-out sort of way.

I'd suspect it's better than we remember as many third party solutions to repair these joysticks abound. There are even "new" sticks being made that look just like the real thing but work better. I even bought a set of replacement switches for my current sticks. It would be nice to have a USB capable one though!